ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · staff · ball · patient · drill · field · swing · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. ball — a great time
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — for sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — in control
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — army training
  10. field — a subject
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. field — farmland
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com